Natural history of Rhodes

The flowering plant species of Rhodes number 1,243.

Bulbous plants

Many bulbous plants on Rhodes flower in the month of October. Species include:

Sternbergia lutea

• Colchicum cupanii
• Cyclamen graecum
• Drimia maritima (late summer)
• Narcissus serotinus.

Notable are:

• Colchicum macrophyllum
• Fritillaria rhodia
• Tulipa saxatilis

Other plants

Among the Mediterranean endemic species prominent in the Rhodes vegetation are:

• Aleppo pine
• stone pine
• Mediterranean cypress
• bay laurel
• Oriental sweetgum
• holm oak
• kermes oak
• strawberry tree
• Greek strawberry tree
• mastic
• terebinth
• common myrtle
• oleander
• Acanthus mollis
• Vitex agnus-castus
• Valerianella coronata

Nearly endemic to the Mediterranean genera found on Rhodes are:

• Aubrieta
• Sesamoides
• Cynara
• Dracunculus
• Arisarum
• Biarum

More widespread in South-east Europe and Asia Minor plants include

• Ranunculus asiaticus
• Tamarix parviflora
• Petrorhagia dubia
• Heliotropium europaeum
• Centranthus calcitrapae and Globularia alypum

Widely-grown introduced plants

Widely introduced plants include:

• Bougainvillea
• Acacia
• Agave
• Artemisia
• Calendula
• Clematis
• Eucalyptus
• Fuchsia
• Hydrangea
• Impatiens
• Jacaranda
• Jasmine
• Magnolia
• Melissa
• Pelargonium
• Salvia

257 bird species are recorded from Rhodes, many are passage migrants. 80 are breeding species.

Breeding species include:

Passage migrants include:

Vagrant birds (many from nearby Turkey) include Circus macrourus, Charadrius leschenaultii, Apus affinis, Luscinia luscinia, Merops persicus, Ficedula semitorquata, Oenanthe cypriaca, Sturnus roseus, Hoplopterus spinosus, Emberiza rustica, Chettusia gregaria, Bubulcus ibis, Anthropoides virgo, Passer moabiticus and very many others.

winter visitors on Rhodes include: Melanocorypha calandra and Acrocephalus melanopogon.

There are 33 species: Cervidae Dama dama; Canidae Vulpes vulpes; Erinaceidae Erinaceus concolor, Erinaceus roumanicus; Leporidae Lepus europaeus, Oryctolagus cuniculus; Molossidae Tadarida teniotis; Muridae Apodemus flavicollis, Apodemus mystacinus, Apodemus sylvaticus, Mus domesticus, Rattus rattus; Mustelidae Martes foina, Meles meles; Phocidae Monachus monachus; Rhinolophidae Rhinolophus blasii, Rhinolophus euryale, Rhinolophus ferrumequinum, Rhinolophus hipposideros; Soricidae Crocidura suaveolens, Suncus etruscus; Vespertilionidae Eptesicus bottae, Hypsugo savii, Miniopterus schreibersii, Myotis blythii, Myotis emarginatus, Myotis myotis, Pipistrellus kuhlii, Pipistrellus pipistrellus, Plecotus austriacus.

Fossils found on the island indicate that the species was inhabited by a dwarf elephant species of the genus Palaeoloxodon during the Late Pleistocene.^[1]

Rhodes has 3 species: Bufo viridis, Hyla orientalis and Rana cerigensis.

There are for certain 23 reptile species found on Rhodes. These are: Amphisbaenidae, Blanus strauchi; Cheloniidae, Caretta caretta; Dermochelyidae, Dermochelys coriacea; Geoemydidae Mauremys rivulata; Colubridae, Platyceps najadum, Dolichophis jugularis, Hemorrhois nummifer, Zamenis situla, Natrix natrix, Natrix tessellata, Telescopus fallax; Lacertidae, Anatololacerta pelasgiana, Ophisops elegans, Lacerta diplochondrodes; Scincidae, Ablepharus kitaibelii, Chalcides ocellatus, Heremites auratus; Typhlopidae, Xerotyphlops vermicularis; Agamidae, Laudakia stellio; Phyllodactylidae, Tarentola mauritanica; Gekkonidae, Hemidactylus turcicus, Mediodactylus oertzeni and also the invasive Trachemys scripta.

Species uncertainly recorded include a further 7: Malpolon insignitus, Eryx jaculus, Eirenis modestus, Vipera xanthina, Chamaeleo chamaeleon, Testudo graeca and Testudo hermanni.

See List of fish of the Mediterranean Sea. Squalius ghigii is endemic to Rhodes.

2,652 insect species/subspecies are recorded from Rhodes. Commonly seen insects in Rhodes are the sail swallowtail, the scarlet dragonfly, Cleopatra butterfly, European praying mantis, cicada, glow-worm, hummingbird hawk-moth, firebug, field cricket, European tree cricket, European hornet, cuckoo wasp, carpenter bee and the rose chafer.

178 land and freshwater mollusca species/subspecies are recorded from Rhodes.

The freshwater crab Potamon rhodium is found on Rhodes. It is common at Petaloudes.

Characteristic habitat types of the Rhodes Mediterranean/Aegean coastal zone, are the Cystoseira biocenosis and the Posidonia oceanica seagrass beds, Lithophyllum lichenoides communities form coralligenous reefs which are a spectacular sight; the coralline alga is covered with large gorgonian fans, coral, and a diverse array of often colourful invertebrate organisms and hundreds of species of fish.

These communities host sponges (Porifera), sea anemones, jellyfish (Cnidaria), sea mats and hornwrack (Bryozoa), segmented worms (Annelida) snails, bivalves, squids and octopuses (Mollusca), starfishes and sea urchins (Echinodermata), crabs, lobsters and shrimps (Arthropoda) and little known groups such as Echiura, Priapulida, Sipuncula, Brachiopoda, Pogonophora, Phoronida and Hemichordata.

Amongst the thousand or so species of invertebrates found in the Rhodes Mediterranean/Aegean coastal zone marine environment are mantis shrimps, Mediterranean slipper lobsters, octopus, cuttlefish, scribbled nudibranch, Hypselodoris picta, tasselled nudibranch, precious coral, zigzag coral, purple sail, Mediterranean jellyfish, spiny spider crab, circular crab, broad-clawed porcelain crab, noble pen shell, pilgrim's scallop, ragged sea hare, violet sea hare, Portuguese man o' war, black sea urchin, purple sea-urchin, long-spine slate pen sea urchin, Mediterranean starfish, sea mouse, Barbatia barbata and Parazoanthus axinellae.

There is a marine natural history display at the Aquarium of Rhodes together with a display of living Mediterranean fish and other marine creatures. A second natural history display at Petaloudes is devoted to the mammals, birds, reptiles, insects, plants and geology of Rhodes. A more specialised museum devoted to bee keeping is close to Rhodes city).

• 
  Rhodes Aquarium
• 
  Museum of Rhodes Aquarium, smooth hammerhead shark
• 
  Nature Museum Petaloudes. A display case.
• 
  A display case.
• 
  Bee Museum of Rhodes.
• 
  Bee Museum. A small section of the extensive displays.

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Greece is a signatory to the Berne Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats and the Habitats Directive both affording protection to the fauna and flora of Rhodes.